The line of Shredhed products, distributed by Alfred Publishing, is designed to offer guitarists and guitar teachers, the freedom they need to perform their favorite songs, or practice scales, chords and licks, without having to flip pages.  Each Shredhed product is designed to be a multi-purpose tool that can act as a wall chart, three-page music stand or three-pouch folder.  The student or teacher can switch between these three functions as simply as inserting tab A into slot B, or removing tab A from slot B.  There are currently two types of products being offered by Shredhed, song charts and practicing aides, both of which can be folded up to fit easily into a schoolbag or guitar case.

Shredhed’s current list of song charts contains music by bands such as REM and the Black Crowes, though their catalogue is undergoing constant expansion.  Each song is written in notation and tablature and is printed on laminated paper.  This will allow students and teachers to write and erase on the chart itself, eliminating the need to carry around extra sheets of paper.  If you do have extra sheets that you need to bring with you the chart has a built in folder that can fit dozens of loose pages, or a small notebook or two. 

When first opening the chart it will look like a three page folder, but by simply unfolding the pages it opens up into a nine page chart, that can be hung on a wall for hands free reading.  If you do not have room to hang the chart on the wall you can always fold it up into a three-page triangle shaped music stand.  Instead of having to turn pages, every time you reach the end of the third page simply rotate the stand to produce the next three pages of the chart.  Each chart is also double sided in order to fit the full song, as well as give a tablature explanation and other valuable information related to performing that particular piece.

Shredhed also offers a variety of technical aides that come with the same multi-purpose setup as the song charts.  They are currently offering packages that include chord, scale and mode charts, as well as acoustic licks and riffs and electric licks and riffs.  Each of these charts is written in notation, tablature and in the case of the chords and scales, in diagrams.  This will allow guitarists of any level or reading ability to use these products without having to learn a new system of reading notation. 

The chord and scale charts also contain extra information that will be helpful for students and teachers alike. The chord chart contains a page discussing intervals, building chords and building voicings on the guitar.  The scale chart has several pages that outline exercises for practicing these scales as well as descriptions of each mode, including what genres of music they are common to and how their intervallic make-up.

Shredhed has also teamed up with emusic.com to offer 35 free song downloads and 1 free audio book download with the purchase of any Shredhed product.  In a day and age where the cost of instructional and song books are rising, Shredhed’s affordable pricing structure, coupled with the emusic.com coupons, will be a welcomed addition to the marketplace.

I highly recommend the Shredhed line of products for any guitar student or educator.  These products will make an excellent teaching aid as they allow instructors to jam along with their students without having to worry about flipping pages. As well, students will be able to keep all of the songs and technical exercises they are working on with their teachers in one or two easy to carry folders.